Substitute Teachers, Short-Term

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-3031.00United States

Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $41,646
Projected change: +5.3%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 523.8K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What substitute teachers, short-term do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Answer students' questions.
Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom.
Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers.
Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips.
Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette.
Tutor or assist students individually or in small groups.
Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments.
Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
Teach a variety of subjects, such as English, mathematics, and social studies.
Operate equipment such as computers or audio-visual aids to supplement presentations.
Counsel students with adjustment or academic problems.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to improve professional competence.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $28,414
25th percentile: $34,080
50th percentile: $41,646
75th percentile: $55,039
90th percentile: $66,482

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $41,646 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5.3%average or slower

2025523,801 jobs

2035 projected551,349 jobs

27,548 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 40.2%
Associate degree: 34.6%
Some college: 10.4%
High school diploma or less: 10.1%
Master's or Professional degree: 4.6%
Certificate: 0.1%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Lesson Planning
Classroom Management
Special Education
Working With Children
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Behavior Management
Child Development
Learning Styles
Student Engagement
Lifting Ability
Office Equipment
Curriculum Development
Instructing
Preschool Education
Disabilities
Differentiated Instruction
Early Childhood Education
Parent Communication
Instructional Strategies
Toileting

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Substitute Teachers10,068 postings
02Long Term Substitute Teachers1,346 postings
03Substitutes1,087 postings
04Substitute Preschool Teachers760 postings
05Long Term Substitutes754 postings
06Building Substitute Teachers719 postings
07High School Substitute Teachers669 postings
08K-12 Substitute Teachers668 postings
09Building Substitutes634 postings
10Permanent Substitutes537 postings
11Substitute School Nurses454 postings
12Long Term Substitute Math Teachers453 postings
13Long Term Substitute Science Teachers452 postings
14Teachers/Substitute Teachers422 postings
15Long Term Substitute English Teachers304 postings
16Elementary Substitute Teachers296 postings
17Teachers285 postings
18Substitute Instructors284 postings
19Certified Substitute Teachers269 postings
20Permanent Building Substitutes238 postings

Top employers

01Kelly Services2,615 postings
02Edjoin.Org773 postings
03Ess Education Support Services695 postings
04Kelly Education350 postings
05Guidepost Montessori315 postings
06Zen Educate267 postings
07National Heritage Academies264 postings
08Charter Schools USA230 postings
09Kokua Education226 postings
10Archdiocese Of St. Louis187 postings
11Moore County Schools187 postings
12Broward County Public Schools186 postings
13Henrico County Public Schools159 postings
14Swing Education158 postings
15Wayne-Finger Lakes Boces157 postings
16State of Missouri153 postings
17Seabrook International146 postings
18Scoot Education139 postings
19Accel Schools135 postings
20State Of West Virginia109 postings

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